Tereza Margarida do Coração de Maria

On July 16, 1962, responding to the request of the Diocese of Campanha, Sister Tereza Margarida was designated to found a new monastery in Três Pontas, in the state of Minas Gerais, accompanied by seven other nuns. This new monastery took the name of Saint Joseph Carmel (Carmelo São José). Within this new foundation, she successively assumed the roles of prioress, sub-prioress, and novice mistress. She actively committed herself to implementing the decrees of the Second Vatican Council within her community, paying particular attention to the biblical, spiritual, and liturgical formation of the nuns. Under her leadership, the Carmel of Três Pontas experienced great spiritual influence. On November 25, 2000, the community founded a new monastery in Patos de Minas: the Carmel of the Most Holy Trinity and the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Sister Tereza Margarida also fostered the creation of a fraternity of the Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites (OCDS) in Três Pontas, in order to share the richness of Carmelite spirituality with the laity.

Sister Tereza Margarida quickly became a spiritual reference point for the faithful in the region. Her kindness, attentive listening, spiritual advice, and prayers attracted many visitors to the monastery parlor. As a sign of affection and veneration, the local population began to affectionately call her "Nossa Mãe" (Our Mother). Despite her fragile health, she dedicated herself fully to her mission of welcoming and intercession. She passed away on November 14, 2005, in Três Pontas, at the age of 89, following a pulmonary illness. Her funeral, celebrated by the diocesan bishop at the mother church of Nossa Senhora d'Ajuda, gathered a huge crowd of faithful and priests who came to pay their final respects. Due to her reputation for holiness and the numerous graces attributed to her intercession, the Bishop of Campanha introduced her cause for beatification. The diocesan phase of the canonical inquiry was officially opened on March 4, 2012, and closed on May 12, 2013. On this occasion, her mortal remains were exhumed and transferred to a chapel built within the Saint Joseph Carmel of Três Pontas.

The file for the cause was then transmitted to Rome, to the Congregation (now Dicastery) for the Causes of Saints. On May 20, 2023, Pope Francis authorized the promulgation of the decree recognizing the heroic nature of her virtues, thus conferring upon her the title of Venerable. The postulator of her cause is Paolo Vilotta. For her beatification to be pronounced, a miracle attributed to her intercession must be officially recognized by the Holy See.

The spirituality of the Venerable Tereza Margarida do Coração de Maria is deeply rooted in the tradition of the Theresian Carmel. Her life is characterized by a simple and robust faith, a total abandonment to Divine Providence, and continual prayer. She knew how to combine the rigor of the contemplative life and the enclosure with immense fraternal charity and a pastoral openness toward people in search of spiritual comfort. The legacy of the Venerable remains alive through the Saint Joseph Carmel of Três Pontas, which continues to be a place of pilgrimage and prayer. Each year, around November 14, the anniversary of her death, a solemn novena is celebrated in her memory, gathering many faithful who pray for her beatification.